WT WBB

[oldbuff]

Yes. Pleasantly surprised. Lot of happy Lady Buffs fans tonight. There should be many good applicants.

[WT&TTECHfan]

Would like to see Steve Gomez take the job.

[Forever WT BUFF]

Yes. Pleasantly surprised. Lot of happy Lady Buffs fans tonight. There should be many good applicants.

Yes LOTS of happy Lady Buff fans! Best thing for the program!

[Forever WT BUFF]

Let me remind and/or inform you of the circumstances of this last season. As classes started an incoming Freshman PG decided to not play. She was a highly recruited player. Turned down a D1 mid-major to sign with Wt. Two weeks before the season starts the best pure shooter on the team went home. Her father was in ICU on a ventilator with Covid. She did not return and has chosen to finish her education in her hometown. A week before the season starts our starting PG injures her foot and a backup guard injures her knee. The knee injury causes the player to miss the entire year. The PG was able to return but could not make the contribution that was planned on. The first player off the bench had offseason knee surgery and did not rehab the knee as instructed by the training staff. As a result, she was limited in her offseason training and was 20 lb's heaver losing her quickness. Finally, after a few games, it was clear our post player was just playing out the string, finally leaving the team. Wt was playing short-handed all year. Finishing 7th in the region was probably about as high as possible. In a "normal year" Wt would have been in the regional tournament. Due to Covid, only 6 teams went to regional instead of 8. IMHO, the coach did a good job with the hand she was dealt.

Wt has a good incoming class. Four D1 transfers and two high school players. The D1 players are a 6-3 post. (leading shot blocker on the former team) A high-energy PG and two big guards. (5-10) One of the high school players is a 6-2 big body with an extended 3 point range. She will be a match-up problem for the other teams. I am really excited about Averee Kleinhans. She is a 5-9 shooting guard who is in range when she gets off the bus. In conversations with a D1 coach I was told, "Wt is lucky to have her, she is a stud." During the conversation the terms - the real deal - baller - impact player - looks to score, were all used to describe Averee. Wt fans are going to like her. Kleinhans is currently in her senior season at Nocona High School. The talented guard picked up Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) All-State honors during her junior campaign in 2019-20 as she was named the District's Most Valuable Player for the second straight season, averaging 24.8 points per game while also leading the Red River Area in assists (4.3), three-pointers made (73) and free throws made (223). As a sophomore in 2018-19, Kleinhans was named the Red River 22 Most Valuable Player as she averaged an impressive 25.8 points per game. Averee comes from a deep tradition of basketball success as both her mom and grandmother played basketball at Nocona High School. This past season, Averee broke the school scoring record scoring 46 points, a record that was set by her grandmother, Glenna Clay."

The coaching staff has addressed the needs of the team: 1) Post player 2) Point guard 3) Scoring guard. With the quality of the returning players, I fail to see an impending implosion of the Lady Buffs. IMHO, Wt will be one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the LSC. Our coach has one of the highest winning percentages in the LSC. Wt and about 300 other D2 schools need to figure out a way to beat LCU. It looks like WT has reloaded for next year and should be fun to watch.

Edit: Signed another D1 transfer - looks like we will not be caught short-handed again.

Wow! Seriously????.... the best pure shooter and 3X ALL-American.... was still on the team. The real question you needed to ask... WHY would she choose to transfer out of a program she had so many accolades and could have been number 1 in so many records to go play for somewhere else for someone else? The best thing Mattio could do for this program is leave while she still had her winning record..... hope they get a good coach in that recruits up to Lady Buff standards.

[WT_TKW]

Congratulations to Lexy Hightower! Named to 2 All-American teams (3rd team on one and honorable mention on the other). Would have been 1st team if the Lady Buffs had been better. Sad when they couldn't even make it to the LSC finals. Without Lexy, the cupboard is empty for next season (with the possible exception of Braylen Dollar). If Mattio is depending on returnees and doesn't do some fantastic recruiting, the Lady Buffs will be middle of the pack at best. LCU appears to have recruited well and will be back on top again. Still hoping Mattio gets a D-1 offer ASAP. Should be a sure thing with her incredible winning %.

I don't follow basketball at all. I did go to one ladies BB game in December of 2015. I've not watched them since, but I dislike basketball at all levels.

What I am having a hard time with is why so many people in this forum dislike the now former coach. I wish we could have a football coach with 154 wins, but they would just fire him.

Why do you guys dislike Mattio so much? Remember Hughes got a pass on a .500 season last year because of COVID. Should the ladies basketball coach be held to a higher standard?

[Forever WT BUFF]

I don't follow basketball at all. I did go to one ladies BB game in December of 2015. I've not watched them since, but I dislike basketball at all levels.

What I am having a hard time with is why so many people in this forum dislike the now former coach. I wish we could have a football coach with 154 wins, but they would just fire him.

Why do you guys dislike Mattio so much? Remember Hughes got a pass on a .500 season last year because of COVID. Should the ladies basketball coach be held to a higher standard?

[Great White Buffalo]

Wow! Seriously.... the best pure shooter and 3X ALL-American.... was still on the team. The real question you needed to ask... WHY would she choose to transfer out of a program she had so many accolades and could have been number 1 in so many records to go play for somewhere else for someone else? The best thing Mattio could do for this program is leave while she still had her winning record..... hope they get a good coach in that recruits up to Lady Buff standards.

IMHO, our AD has a track record of making good hires. There should be several outstanding applicants for the position. I am just wondering how many of the recruits will still come to Wt.

[oldbuff]

by Forever WT Buff

Totally agree. The only decision she would make is to keep passing the ball 10-15 times until they throw it away or put up a shot at the buzzer. She would not change her offense at all. Players (and fans) were frustrated. In addition, it is my understanding she never went to Canyon HS to recruit. Not saying that all players need to be local, but LCU has proven it can win NC with a majority of local players. Recruit the best girls wherever possible but don't eliminate local girls.
I have confidence in McBroom to pick the best candidate. (Still wish Tom Brown could be cloned.) Great days are finally ahead for Lady Buffs basketball.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

I am thinking more and more that any talks of Division 1 are a hoax and WT is staying D2. I would think if WT had immediate plans they would be talking to coaches and players behind the scenes to stick around.

[Herb Street]

I am thinking more and more that any talks of Division 1 are a hoax and WT is staying D2. I would think if WT had immediate plans they would be talking to coaches and players behind the scenes to stick around.

I have an inside source at SHSU who was a key player in SHSU moving to the WAC who knows. WAC took two attempts at WT. WT is staying put in the LSC.

No drama, no hoax. Not a big deal.

[BuffaloChip]

I was just thinking (that should surprise everyone on here).

The last 3 WT women's HC's have all moved on to D1 HC gigs. It would be 4 if Bob Schneider had ever wanted to leave Canyon and go D1. Can any other D2 school match that fact?

If you are a D2 coach with the goal of becoming a D1 coach, WT is the pipeline. That won't go unnoticed in the new HC search.

[BuffaloChip]

The job got posted this morning. 10 days before a hire can be announced unless it's an inside hire. I hear interviews have already commenced.

[BuffaloChip]

by Forever WT Buff

Totally agree. The only decision she would make is to keep passing the ball 10-15 times until they throw it away or put up a shot at the buzzer. She would not change her offense at all. Players (and fans) were frustrated. In addition, it is my understanding she never went to Canyon HS to recruit. Not saying that all players need to be local, but LCU has proven it can win NC with a majority of local players. Recruit the best girls wherever possible but don't eliminate local girls.
I have confidence in McBroom to pick the best candidate. (Still wish Tom Brown could be cloned.) Great days are finally ahead for Lady Buffs basketball.

I hope our new coach can exceed Mattio's 154-35 record and so would Coach Mattio. I've never known a coach take a loss worse than she did. If the new coach can beat LCU at LCU or in a regional, Kristen will be first in line to congratulate him/her.

[Forever WT BUFF]

I hope our new coach can exceed Mattio's 154-35 record and so would Coach Mattio. I've never known a coach take a loss worse than she did. If the new coach can beat LCU at LCU or in a regional, Kristen will be first in line to congratulate him/her.

[Great White Buffalo]

You and I must be looking at different rosters. There is good returning talent. Five incoming D1 players and good freshman. With 13 players on the roster, there will be healthy competition for playing time. IMHO Wt should be in the top 3 teams in the LSC and top five in the region. We will have quality depth, which we did not have last year. You need to remember Delaney left due to a family situation, a father with Covid, not because she was unhappy. Can't fault Lexy for going to Tech. she will be missed. Braylon will not be missed. It should tell you something that she is going to an NAIA school. I think the next hire will probably be an established winner at the D2 level.